Hosting a Minecraft server is never an easy task if you intend to do it right. It demands you to be a player and a puppeteer but not too much of a puppeteer, but also intervene if necessary. It’s difficult and doesn’t make sense. The most crucial piece of the puzzle that can make or break a server is the server. Servers that lag often at normal load can be frustrating for a player and make them not want to play on your server.
I have hosted servers both on Realms and at home with my own hardware. I feel that they are for different people and different types of dynamics. I’m going to break it down and discuss both.
Note
I have primarily hosted Realms on Bedrock, but Java Realms are extremely similar to Bedrock Realms, besides the game itself.
Realms
This is the official way to host a server, via Mojang using Microsoft Azure. Realms are designed to work every time with no errors. They are engineered for security and stability.
I’m going to line up the Pros and Cons. I enjoy putting the Cons first so you know the bad before the good, so you get the full picture.
Cons
- You have little modification input. You can’t have a Java Realm and enable a software named GeyserMC to allow Bedrock players to join your Java server. Even Java gets knocked down a peg in terms of modding for Realms. Traditional mods that require Fabric or Forge are not compatible, rightfully so, but it’s still less personalization overall.
- Strict Player Caps, you can’t really pay for more players. Realms has 2 tiers and they do have a player cap difference, but once you hit the ceiling of the top tier, that’s it.
- Premium Cost for servers. Compared to 3rd party cloud hosting services, Realms is expensive. Aternos, a cloud hosting service, is famously free forever, directing users to an entire other site for paid servers. Now there are certainly resource differences between Realms and Aternos. I’m not saying Aternos and Realms are equal, far from it. That doesn’t change the fact that you can get a server with a little over 3GB of RAM for free, forever.
Pros
- Stability of servers. I have never had a Realm fail to start, or crash mid-game. This doesn’t mean it can’t ever happen, but it’s unlikely. The stability of a server is one of the key components Mojang has focused on and it has gone well. Realms are stable.
- Realms are easy to set up. Once you have metaphorically swiped your card, it’s effortless. This goes back to the first point, Realms are stable. They launch pretty quickly and overall require nothing of you (besides your subscription) to maintain.
- Whitelisting is easy. Realms are Invite Only by design and it shows, in a good way. Realms are really made for friend groups who just want to play Minecraft together.
In short, Minecraft Realms are stable and easy, but that limited control shows with little modding and strict player caps.
Hosted At Home
This is a strange way to host servers; its open-endedness is scary. This also has so much extra required from you. Now this is how I host servers now so I am biased, but I will try my best to remove bias from my review. There are some frustrations that come with the territory I plan on expressing.
Note
When I say “server” know I mean a Minecraft Server for playing. When I say “physical server” know I mean some sort of computer device that you own in real life.
Cons
- You need hardware. This is either a spare Desktop/Laptop/PC, a physical server, or some sort of real computer. This means you need to learn how to use it and deploy servers. There are free tools and pathways to deploying Minecraft servers that assist, but managing what essentially must be a real physical server is difficult.
- Security is up to you. If you don’t do things right then security can become a real issue. This gets into networking where you need some way for people outside of your network to access this server. They need an IP address or domain of sorts to connect to. This is another entire layer you need to know, since other crucial devices are on the same network that can become victims. Now most of this doesn’t matter if the server is kept private and only for you and friends. If attackers don’t know it exists, or it isn’t a high value target then they can’t attack or just won’t. Security is really only an issue for public servers but I figured it was worth mentioning.
- It’s a server. This might sound obvious but think about it. If it’s on 24/7 that is drawing electricity and creating heat that entire time. It also is using bandwidth from your router. This is effectively a server, it takes energy, produces heat, and draws resources. You need to be mindful of this. I kept 2 tiny computers called Raspberry Pis, if you don’t know what they are all you need to know is they are the footprint of a credit card and are meant to be low power. Even these small physical servers created heat that noticeably raised the temperature of my office. I have now moved them to another room with better circulation of air, but it really raised the temperature in this room.
Pros
- Total authority over the server. You can do anything your heart desires. If you want to add the Create Mod or Farmer’s Delight, you can! You can add any mod, provided the version and mod loader are correct.
- You can make Bedrock and Java servers. Software like GeyserMC can allow Bedrock players to join Java worlds. At the time of writing this I have a server using this exact method right now. It’s extremely fun to get everyone on a server regardless of their Minecraft version.
- It’s FREE, mostly. Besides for electricity, it’s free. You only pay exactly what you use. The physical server is the biggest cost and it’s one-time. Once you own the computer, you own it. It’s much cheaper than Realms or most hosting services after you own the hardware, and hardware can be repurposed for other servers, and even servers for other games. You aren’t locked in once you have it.
Hopefully this has helped you decide which is right for you. I want to say hosting servers on my own hardware is part of the fun for me. You don’t need crazy hardware to run a Minecraft Server. I have made a little element below to help you know what you need for a server at home, this assumes a Java Minecraft server. Bedrock servers are much more optimized and run better on the same hardware.